The invention relates to an exposure indicator for use with a camera having an electrical shutter, and more particularly to such an exposure indicator for use in a camera having an electrical shutter and capable of taking pictures under automatic and manual exposures and which is arranged to present a zero method index and a train of exposure values within the field of a viewfinder.
A camera having an electrical shutter is known which comprises a photometric circuit for automatic exposure and its associated first shutter drive and control circuit as well as another photometric circuit for manual exposure and its associated second shutter drive and control circuit. A camera of this type enables pictures to be taken under both automatic and manual exposures by selecting either combination of the photometric circuit and the shutter drive and control circuit by means of a change-over switch. A camera of the type described incorporates a so-called zero method exposure means for taking pictures under manual exposure wherein the pointer of an exposure meter which is interlocked with an exposure control mechanism of the camera is brought into alignment with the zero method index appearing within the field of the viewfinder, thereby manually determining a proper exposure.
When taking pictures under an automatic exposure, either the exposure period is automatically determined against a preset diaphragm aperture which is established by an aperture setting ring or the diaphragm aperture is automatically determined against a preset exposure period which is established by an exposure period setting ring. With a camera having an electrical shutter of the above design, the automatic determination of the exposure period or the diaphragm aperture presents a problem in the recognition of their specific value. To overcome this difficulty, it is also proposed to provide an exposure period display panel or a diaphragm aperture display panel which is associated with a meter pointer exposed through the field of view a viewfinder and capable of indicating a shutter period or a diaphragm aperture. Such a construction is already known in a camera having an electrical shutter which is only capable of taking pictures under an automatic exposure.
However, this arrangement cannot be adopted in a camera having an electrical shutter which permits taking pictures under both automatic and manual exposures since then there would exist a pair of meter pointers within the field of the viewfinder in either manual or automatic exposure mode, namely a meter pointer and its associated zero method index for taking pictures under a manual exposure, and a second meter pointer for indicating the value of the automatic exposure and associated diaplay panels for the exposure period and the diaphragm aperture in an automatic mode. The presence of these pointers prevents a correct reading of the proper indication. In addition, a pair of photometric circuits and a pair of meters are necessary, resulting in a complex arrangement.